1Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute,Large Park,Hillsborough BT26 6DR,UK.
3Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute,18a Newforge Lane,Belfast BT9 5PX,UK.
Animal. 2018 Nov;12(11):2382-2390. doi: 10.1017/S1751731118000095. Epub 2018 Feb 27.
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of using different floor types to accommodate growing and finishing beef cattle on lameness. In all, 80 dairy origin bulls were blocked according to live weight and breed into 20 groups, and randomly allocated within groups to one of four treatments. The floor types studied were fully slatted flooring throughout the entire experimental period (CS); fully slatted flooring covered with rubber strips throughout the entire experimental period (RS); fully slatted flooring during the growing period and then moved to a solid floor covered with straw bedding during the finishing period (CS-S) and fully slatted flooring during the growing period and then moved to fully slatted flooring covered with rubber strips during the finishing period (CS-RS). The total duration of the study was 204 days. The first 101 days was defined as the growing period, with the remainder of the study defined as the finishing period. During the growing period, there was a tendency for bulls accommodated on CS to have a higher locomotion score compared with those accommodated on RS (P=0.059). However, floor type had no significant effect on locomotion score during the finishing period. There was also no significant effect of floor type on digital dermatitis during both the growing or finishing period. Floor type had no significant effect on swelling at the leg joints at the end of the finishing period. Bulls accommodated on RS had the least probability of bruised soles during both the growing and finishing period (P<0.01). Growing bulls accommodated on CS had significantly greater front heel height net growth compared with those accommodated on RS (P<0.05). However, bulls accommodated on RS had a tendency to have greater front toe net growth compared with those accommodated on CS (P=0.087). Finishing bulls accommodated on CS-RS had the greatest front toe net growth (P<0.001). Heel height net growth was greatest in bulls accommodated on CS-S (P<0.001). Floor type had no significant effect on mean maximum hoof temperature during the growing period. Finishing bulls accommodated on CS-S had a significantly lower mean maximum hoof temperature compared with those accommodated on any other floor type (P<0.001). The study concluded that rubber flooring is a suitable alternative to fully slatted flooring, reducing the prevalence of bruised soles. Despite greater toe net growth in bulls accommodated on rubber flooring, there was no effect of floor type on locomotion score, suggesting that increased toe net growth does not adversely affect walking ability. In addition, although mean maximum hoof temperature was lowest in bulls accommodated on straw bedding, there was no evidence to suggest this is indicative of improved hoof health.
本研究旨在评估不同地板类型对育肥和出栏肉牛跛行的影响。共有 80 头奶牛来源的公牛根据体重和品种分为 20 组，并按组内随机分配到 4 种处理方法中的一种。研究的地板类型包括：整个实验期间完全铺有漏缝地板（CS）；整个实验期间完全铺有漏缝地板并覆盖橡胶条（RS）；生长期间完全铺有漏缝地板，育肥期间改为铺有稻草垫的实心地板（CS-S）；生长期间完全铺有漏缝地板，育肥期间改为铺有橡胶条的漏缝地板（CS-RS）。研究总时长为 204 天。前 101 天为生长阶段，其余时间为育肥阶段。在生长阶段，与 RS 相比，CS 组的牛的运动评分有升高的趋势（P=0.059）。然而，地板类型对育肥阶段的运动评分没有显著影响。地板类型对生长和育肥阶段的蹄皮炎也没有显著影响。地板类型对育肥期末腿部关节肿胀也没有显著影响。RS 组的牛在生长和育肥阶段的脚底擦伤概率最小（P<0.01）。生长阶段 CS 组的牛的前蹄踵高度净生长显著大于 RS 组（P<0.05）。然而，RS 组的牛前蹄趾净生长有增大的趋势，大于 CS 组（P=0.087）。CS-RS 组的育肥牛的前蹄趾净生长最大（P<0.001）。CS-S 组的牛的前蹄踵高度净生长最大（P<0.001）。生长阶段的平均最大蹄温不受地板类型的影响。CS-S 组的育肥牛的平均最大蹄温显著低于其他任何地板类型的牛（P<0.001）。本研究得出的结论是，橡胶地板是完全漏缝地板的一种合适替代品，可减少脚底擦伤的发生。尽管 RS 组的牛的前蹄趾净生长较大，但地板类型对运动评分没有影响，这表明增加的前蹄趾净生长不会对行走能力产生不利影响。此外，尽管 CS 组的牛的平均最大蹄温最低，但这并不能表明其蹄部健康状况有所改善。
